ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of March 22, 2021
Nora's Note
To a better tomorrow. Appalled by recent attacks on Asians in the US, we close Women’s History Month highlighting Asian-American women of achievement. The first woman of color elected to the House of Representatives, Patsy Mink served for decades and co-authored gender equity law Title IX, known as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu worked on the Manhattan Project, disproved the law of conservation of parity and was the first female president of the American Physical Society. Yuri Kochiyama turned a childhood in a Japanese internment camp into a life as an activist for desegregation in Harlem; her fight for reparations for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II led to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Mia Mingus, a Champion of Change, is making history today through community-building activism related to disability justice, transformative justice and child sexual abuse. For these women, and all Asian Americans, we must do better.
21 Digital Trends for 2021
Each Tuesday, ASC's digital strategists share the pros, cons and how-tos of using an emerging technology trend to reach wider, more representative audiences right where they are. Read this week's blog to learn how short-form video and voice-first audio on social media can strengthen public engagement.
March 26, 10 AM - 1 PM: This Friday, join NYPA’s Supplier Diversity Program for a Women's History Month event on “Leadership in Uncertain Times,” featuring guest speakers including ASC CEO Nora Madonick on leadership in the pandemic, creative women-owned small business pivots, lessons learned on the way to recovery and more. Register at https://bit.ly/30wN8XZ.
Transportation
Suburbs saw drastic changes to pedestrian activity in 2020. To keep pedestrians safe, communities across the United States must consider pandemic-related changes where pedestrians travel. A new report shows while most pedestrian activity still took place near city centers, many suburbs saw dramatic growth in pedestrian traffic between 2019 and 2020. Local leaders need to factor these suburban pedestrian behavior changes—and changes in risky driver activities—to prevent pedestrian fatalities. Read on to learn how data-driven solutions can create safer environments for today's streets.
Freight Waves: DOT study predicts no mass layoffs from driverless trucks
Transport Topics: New Jersey DOT Announces $30.1 Million for Local Freight Improvements
Seattle Times: ‘Major area’ of Seattle could forbid most cars under city’s new, greener transportation plan
Slate: The CEO of Amtrak Thinks Americans Are Ready for Trains Again
Roads & Bridges: AASHTO Report Highlights State DOT Transportation Investment Benefits
Politico: Driving downtown? Get ready to pay extra
Transporation Today: FAA releases Environmental Impact Statement on LaGuardia AirTrain project
Automotive World: Does hydrogen have a home in mobility?
Energy/Environment
Summits target, and equip, youths to confront climate their way. Students across New York are leading climate action in their hometowns and providing a model for other young people in communities around the world. First held in 2009, the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit encourages high school students to identify issues in their communities and find innovative solutions. Some of the solutions that attendees have implemented after the summit include participating in political advocacy, hosting carbon-neutral proms and helping their towns become bronze-certified Climate Smart Communities. Read on to learn more about how youth climate programs work.
East Hampton Star: State Approves Offshore Wind Farm Landing Plan
NBC News: Summers could last half the year by the end of this century
Bloomberg CityLab: There’s a Pandemic Power Crisis. But How Big Is It?
Time: How Industrial Fishing Creates More CO2 Emissions Than Air Travel
NBC 10 Philadelphia: 1,500 Wind Turbines. 2,700 Square Miles. Offshore Wind in the Atlantic Will Be Big. Really Big
Energy Monitor: Data shows reducing CO2 emissions is good for business
GreenBiz: Our oceans could hold the best solutions to climate change
Real Estate Weekly: City planning approves new zoning to strengthen NYC against floods
Economic Development
Cities turn to resilience corps as a pandemic recovery tactic. Resilience-focused workforce development programs are becoming a popular way for cities to pair post-COVID economic recovery with long-term environmental improvements. One example is San Jose's proposed Resilience Corps, which would initially connect 500 young adults with jobs focused on addressing the pandemic and climate change. Other cities that have proposed similar initiatives include New Orleans and New York City. Read on to learn about the partnerships that can help ensure programs support long-term goals.
NY Times: To Help Black Developers, Programs Start With Access to Capital
NY Business Journal: Start-Up NY tax breaks fix will be part of state budget negotiations
Hartford Courant: $17B Hartford highway plan includes tunnels, 3 new bridges and riverfront park; new neighborhood proposed in East Hartford
StateScoop: State and local officials don't trust ISPs to close digital divide, poll finds
Governing: Local Govs Will Spend Stimulus Relief in Different Ways
Buffalo News: UB incubator gives new push to startup growth
Gotham Gazette: How the American Rescue Plan Will Impact New York City
CNBC: Senate confirms Isabel Guzman as Small Business Administration chief, who will help steer Covid recovery
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